German nurse may have killed 27 patients

A German nurse who is serving a life sentence for killing two elderly people with lethal doses of heart medication may have killed 27 patients, police say.

A former nurse who is serving a life sentence after admitting to injecting patients with lethal doses of heart medication may be responsible for as many as 27 deaths, German police say.

Niels H, whose name was withheld in line with German privacy laws, is currently serving a life sentence on two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.

He admitted at his trial last year to giving overdoses of ajmaline to about 90 frail, elderly patients so he could demonstrate heroism and skill by reviving them in the period 2003 to 2005.

Police investigators had examined the remains of 99 former patients at the hospital in the northern German town of Delmenhorst and announced on Wednesday that traces of the heart medication had been found in 27 of the bodies.

Prosecutor Thomas Sander said that investigations would continue until Niels H's exact role in the killings had been determined.


Share

1 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world